The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 338

'l'he f'('Opk's Rin is not yet perfectly forgiven. God, indeed, has promised to go with them. but he ha~ not said, IL8 of old, "I will take you to me for a people, &nd I will be to you a G-od" (Ex. vi. 7). The new relations &re not those of perfect.ed friendship. The~- Rre moNo,•er, unstable. New transgressions of the people may at any moment upeet them. Mo~es, accordingly, would not only have the covenant renewed-restored in its old completeness and integrity-the last traoe of the Divine disple&11ure wipeL 11war-but would have God give him a pledge of grace beyond anything he hM yel received-a pledge that he will show great forbearance with the people: that he will not deal summarily with them, or CIUlt them off, on account of backslidings which he now perceiv01i to be inevitable (ver. 9). It WBB a high thing to ask: too high, Moses may have thought, for him to be able to attain to it. If he did, it could only be &\I the result of an earneRtness, a perseveranoo, and a BUblimity in intercesssion beyond everything of which be had yet felt himself capable. The strength he needed, however, WM not to he withheld from him. Be had already, though, probably, without this being present to his mind 116 a motive, put himself in the way of getting it, by uking for a vision of t.he Divine glory. From this would flow into his soul a spiritual might which would make "all thing., possible" to him (cf. Mark ix. 23). By sheer power of prayer, he would obta.in what he desired. Jehovah, on his side, was too well pleBBed with his servant's ?.eal and devotion, too willing to be entrea.ted of him, too entirely in accord with the ob_iect of bis supplication, not readily to grant him the opportunity of pressing his request. 1. JEHOYAH's "ooME Ul' DITHER" (vers. 1---4). 1. The oommand to hew out tables (,·er. 1). Formerly, it was God himself who furnished th~ tables on which the law WBB writter. (eh. x:r.:xii. 16). Now, the tables are to be provided by Moses. This may have had reference to the fact.s (1) that it was Moses who had destroyed the former tables ( eh. uxii. 19); and (2), that it was by the mediation of Moses that the covenant was being renewed It was a suit.able reward for his intercession, that God should givo him this honour of supplying the tables on which the oovenant terms were to be in.scribed. Yicw the command to hew out tables as (1) Retrospective. God had already promised that his presence should go with Israel (eh. mi.ii. 14). This implied, on the part of tile people, return to their obedience. The law is unalterable. God can walk with men only as they are willing to walk with him in the way of his commands. The t.ables testified to the unchangingness of the obligation. (2) Anticipative. It had in view the fact that, through Moees' intercession, the covenant was about to be restored. (3) Promissory. It gave Moses encouragement to entreat for it.s restoration. 2. '1.'he command to ascend the ~r.ount (ver. 2). The summons to ascend the mount was, (1) An answer to prayer-" Shew ml' thy glory" ( eh. x.x:riii. 18). (2) A preparation for vision. (3) An opportunity for intercession. 3. The command to preserve t"he sanctity of tlv: mount (ver. 3). This was to be done by keeping man and beast frol!3- approa~h- ing it. Moses was to ascend alone. The command-a parallel to that 1n Ex. nx. 12-13--has for it.s end the warning back of intruders from what, for the time being, is "holy !!round" (cf. eh. iii 5). Other reasons are, that there might be (1) No interrup- tion oc"'communion. (2) No distraction in intercession. (3) No injury done by the manifestation of the Divine glory. " The manifested glory of the Lord would so surely be followed by the destruction of man that even Moses needed to be protect.ed before it" ( eh. x.x:riii. 21, 22). IL 'I'm: NA.IIE REVEALED (vers. 4----S). (1) Jehove.h "passed by before him" (ver. 5), i.e., gave him the glimpse of his glory promised inch. xxxili. 22,_23. (2) He •· proclaimed his name"--i.e., made known to Moses the essence of his character. This was the higher revelation. The other is only alluded to; this is dwelt on and expanded (vers. 6, 7). L Tlie na~ itsel.f. _ Note here in regard to it-{l) It uni_tes ruercv and justice. (2) The merciful attributes preponderate. (3) The word which ,wl.lahles it is" Love." Love is the union of goodness and holiness. The hi.story of r~velation has been but the spelling out of this name. Christ is the perfect embodi- went of it. 2. The effects on JlOBeS. (1) It awed him (ver. 8). (2) It encouraged him. lt "ave him a new ground of confidence in entreaty (ver. 9). (3) It strengthened i,irl:. Cf. tL.e chorus of the archan_gels in Goethe's "l<'aust" • Though none way fathom th_.tby sigh! Upoo the angels puwer be&tows," ete  un. llXXIV, 6-8.] Tllg llOOK OF EXODUS. 363